Danny Szetela

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One of a number of Americans who impressed in the 2007 U-20 World Cup (Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore also excelled with that same team), Danny Szetela signed with Spanish side Racing Santander in 2007.

However, Szetela never made a league appearance for the side and was almost immediately loaned out to Serie B side Brescia Calcio for the next 18 months.

Szetela eventually returned to Spain after Brescia did not pick up their option to him, but Racing Santander chose not to re-sign Szetela, and he returned to MLS.

After playing four games for DC United in the 2009 season, the club dropped Szetela who has been out of the game ever since.

Now 25, the once promising prospect—who scored three goals at the U-20 World Cup for the United States, played for the U.S. in the 2008 Olympics and was even capped several times by the full national team—is completely out of football.

Freddy Adu

Adu is only 23 years old and may well have a second and more successful stint in Europe (a la Landon Donovan), but it would be hard to classify Adu’s stint in Europe as anything other than a failure.

The most well-documented of the many youngsters who have suffered as a result of the American hype machine, Adu’s European career spanned five different teams in five seasons.

After signing with Benfica in the summer of 2007, Adu endured four different loan moves—to French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, Portuguese side Belenenses, Greek side Aris and finally second-tier Turkish side Rizespor.

Although he attained some moderate success with Aris and Rizespor, it is notable that Adu could not find a long-term suitor among the seven teams he played with in Europe, including his training stints with German second-division side Ingolstadt and Danish side Randers.

In total, Adu made 34 league starts over four years in Europe, the vast majority coming in the Greek league and the second division in Turkey.

Kenny Cooper

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Kenny Cooper has had two stints in Europe—neither of them particularly memorable.

Signing with Manchester United in 2004, Cooper was never able to break into the first team, and two unsuccessful loan stints to Academica de Coimbra and Oldham Athletic later, he was released by United.

Cooper returned to MLS, and after two strong seasons in the U.S., he returned to Europe this time signing with Bundesliga 2 side 1860 Munich.

Cooper spent a year and a half in Europe his second time around—including a loan stint with Plymouth Argyle—before returning to the United States again having only made 20 league appearances and scoring two goals in 18 months.